


Friends Like These

by timeless_alice



Series: Horror Meme - 2018 [4]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Introspection, Mirage Has Baggage, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 08:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16280843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeless_alice/pseuds/timeless_alice
Summary: lost light spoilersMirage takes a moment to talk with the Protectobots in the brig





	Friends Like These

**Author's Note:**

> [mirage lives au](http://timelessmulder.tumblr.com/post/178932722430/the-mirage-lives-au-this-is-also-an-au-where-the)

Sometimes there were periods when the jailed Protectobots were allowed moments of privacy. And in those moments, Mirage would sneak into the brig for their company, taking a break from his lonely sneaking around the ship. As much as he enjoyed terrorizing Star Saber and Getaway with his outlier abilities, he missed speaking to others, so he took these chances whenever he could.

On one such occasion, he sat on the floor by their cells, so they formed some kind of strange semi-circle, nursing a cup of energon (he had refused but Hot Spot had insisted, because while they got regular rations, Mirage was left to scavenge what he could). He remained quiet while the others joked amongst themselves, in good spirits despite their predicament. They had so much faith in First Aid, whose presence still lingered at the fringes of their minds even if he was god-knows-where. Their optimism was infectious, and Mirage could not help the swell of warmth in his chest from being linked with them.

“Hey, Mirage,” Groove said, leaning towards the bars of his cell. There was a small, teasing grin on his face. “We’ve been meaning to ask…”

There was a slight pause, as if waiting for someone else to contradict him, and Mirage looked at the others in turn. No one spoke up, so his attention turned back to Groove.

“How did Defensor compare to being part of Optimus’ combiner?”

Mirage hesitated. One might even call what he did freezing up. He averted his eyes from them, taking a long drink to buy him some more time before answering. The awful taste of the lowgrade made him sputter, but he didn’t stop. He could feel the others staring at him, their confusion and curiosityhovered in the edges of his thoughts. It made him want to retract more; he wasn’t sure how  _he_ was feeling, let alone how they were perceiving it over their team link. The mention of it dredged up memories he would rather not think about, and it pulled out conflicted feelings that chased each other in his head in endless circles, tangling up in one another.

“That bad, huh?” Blades said.

The look Hot Spot gave him was scathing, and might’ve killed a lesser bot.

“What?” Mirage asked in a low, confused voice.

“Defensor didn’t measure up, obviously.” His tone was glib, as if it was something that didn’t need elaboration, but Mirage could sense what might have been a little  _hurt._

“ _Shut up, Blades_ ,” Hot Spot hissed.

“What? Am I wrong? He combined with  _Optimus Prime_ for a battle that didn’t suck nearly as much as this one.”

A fight was brewing, it thundered in Mirage’s mind and made his circuits twitch and coil into a sense of fight or flight. His options were to let it begin and play its course so he didn’t have to answer, or stop it in its tracks.

“It was awful,” he said. All eyes whipped around to him, and before anyone could say anything, he continued. “ _Optimus Maximus_.” The name dripped with scorn and was accompanied with a scoff. “I hated every moment of it.” He paused and averted his gaze, heat rising in his systems with embarrassment. He stared at an empty cell, unable to look at any of them. “None of us would admit it, I don’t think, but it was a miracle we didn’t break apart.” His voice grew soft. “We stayed together through sheer force of Optimus’ will, and that’s that.”

He remembered the fear of having to share such an intimate space with Ironhide, and how Ironhide’s confusion at it had trickled its way into his thoughts. Then the horrible sense of guilt that clung to every inch of him: Ironhide had apologized and Mirage had forgiven him but the fear remained. It would always remain. Ironhide would have to deal with the guilt, but Mirage would have to live with the fact that an ally had nearly beaten him to death on nothing but flimsy evidence.

To say nothing of Sunstreaker’s barely hidden panic regarding the whole situation.

The twisting in his headspace must have spread out along their connection, because Hot Spot quietly said, “Mirage, are you okay?”

Mirage slammed back into the present with a shake of his head and a soft hum. “I’m fine,” he said. “I’ve just been…bottling things up about that for a while. I mean, imagine. Saying anything less than glowing about being part of Optimus Prime’s combiner.” He took another drink, then added, “But Defensor was…nice. I can’t really explain it.” He shrugged, then got to his feet to return the cup and the quarter of energon still in it to Hot Spot. He looked at Mirage for a moment, like he was considering making Mirage drink the rest of it, but he reached through the bars to take it back.

A guard would be coming shortly, and Mirage had to make himself scarce.

“Nice to know we’re the better combiner,” Streetwise said with a smile.

“Yeah.” Blades’ grin flashed sharp teeth. “Too bad you break theme.”

Mirage laughed, and sent a rude gesture Blades’ way, which received a grumble of disapproval from Hot Spot. Which further devolved into the Protectobots teasing him for a continued dislike of vulgarity. Mirage took a look at them, before gathering up his energy to render himself invisible, to revel in the warmth and companionship of the company he had found himself with.

“I’ll see you later,” he said, before winking out of view, with the farewells of the Protectobots in his ears.

**Author's Note:**

> horror meme 4 - secret
> 
> kind stretching it but i wanted to write something nice ;-;


End file.
